Translation of the Chofetz Chaim's Sefer Shmiras HaLashon. This site is dedicated to the improvement of the speech of members of Bnei Yisrael. To help avoid all sorts of troubles, learn Shmiras HaLashon - "One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards from troubles of his soul." (Mishlei: 21; 23)

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

[The person who separates himself from involvement in Torah study, in addition to the other punishments noted earlier], is also excommunicated before [HaShem’s] Divine Presence, as it [taught] in [“Pirkei] Avos” (Chapter 6, Mishna 2), that all of those who do not involve themselves in Torah [study are] referred to as “excommunicated”.

In The Holy “Zohar”, [on] Parshas “Mitzora” (volume 3, 52b), [we learn as follows][1]: “How greatly must people guard their ways and [must] fear from before The Holy One, Blessed is He…[2], for all of those who do not toil in Torah and do not involve themselves in it, are excommunicated from The Holy One, Blessed is He, [and such a person] is distant from Him, for [HaShem’s] Divine Presence does not dwell with him. Those guardian [angels] who walk with [this person, subsequently] remove themselves from him. Not only [is] that [the case], but they announce before him: “Remove yourselves from the vicinity of Ploni[3], for he did not have concern for The Honor of The King. Woe to him, woe to [this person], for [those of the] Upper [Spheres] and [the] lower [spheres] have abandoned him, and he does not have a path in The Paths of Life. Once one strives [to involve himself] in Torah and in the service of his Master, a number of guardians are designated concerning him [in order] to guard him, and The Divine Presence rests upon him, and they all announce concerning him and say: ‘Give honor to the likeness of The King, give honor to the son of The King. [Such an individual] is [protected] in this world and in The World to Come [and his portion is meritorious].’”

In addition, due to [the person’s lack of involvement in Torah study], it is common that there will be fires in the world, as our Sages of Blessed Memory have said [in maseches “Sanhedrin” (92b), as follows]: “‘[Concerning] every house in which words of Torah are not heard in it during the night, a fire consumes it.’”[4] It is [also] known that all Jews are are responsible for one another.[5]

[1] This teaching from The “Zohar” is taught in the name of Rabbi Abba. This teaching is preceded by the first pisukim from parshas “Mitzora”: “And HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘This shall be the law of the mitzora on the day of his becoming pure…” (Vayikra: 14; 1 – 2) Rabbi Abba then quotes the following pasuk from sefer “Iyov”, to introduce his teaching: “You shall fear from before the sword, for the anger of sins is the sword, in order that you should be aware that [The Master of] Judgment [is a Judge of Truth]”. (Iyov: 19; 29) (The translation of the conclusion of this pasuk is based on Targum Yonasan ben Uziel).

[2] This section from The “Zohar”, which is not included in the main text of sefer “Shmiras HaLashon”, states as follows:

“People must greatly guard their paths, and [must] fear from before The Holy One, Blessed is He, [such] that he shouldn’t stray from the acceptable path, and [that] he shouldn’t transgress the words of The Torah, and [The Torah that he has studied] shouldn’t be forgotten from him.”

[3] “Ploni” is a term used to refer to an unnamed individual.

[4] The text from the gemara states as follows:

“Rabbi Elazar said, ‘[Concerning] every house in which words of Torah aren’t heard in it during the night, it is consumed by fire, as it says [in sefer “Iyov”], “All darkness hidden for their hidden treasures shall be consumed by a fire which isn’t fanned, evil shall befall the survivor in his tent”. (Iyov: 21; 26) “שריד” – “survivor” only refers to [a] Torah scholar, as it says [in sefer “Yoel”], “…and among the survivors – שרידים – who HaShem shall call”.’ (Yoel: 3; 5)”

RaSh”I explains that the pasuk quoted from sefer “Iyov” teaches that every house that hidden from the treasures of The Torah every night, on which Torah study is not heard during the nighttime in that house, such a house will be consumed by the fire of gehinnom, which is a fire which does not need fanning.

From the above gemara we are taught that any house of a Torah scholar in which words of Torah are not heard during the night could be suspeptible to being burnt down.

[5] It appears from the words of the Chofetz Chaim that one person who studies Torah can, in the merit of his Torah study, prevent fires from occurring in other areas in the world, thus meriting to bring protection to other Jews. Alternatively, one person should encourage his fellow Jew to study Torah in his home, and elsewhere, both during the daytime and nighttime, especially if he is aware that the person is idle from Torah study, for each Jew is responsible for his fellow Jew. By doing so, the increased amount of Torah studied, will lead to increased Heavenly protection for The Jewish People in specific, and the world in general.